Eat more to lose more??

seanezekiel

I have read this so many times on this site and it defies all logic. However my weight loss has stalled out and I am doing more exercise now then I ever have and trying to keep my calories low and protein high. Obviously i am doing something wrong, maybe all these people who say this are right. Sooooo I am going to give it a try.

I am 6ft, 220lbs, 20% BF. Currently my BMR is around 2500 at sedentary. I use sedentary because at work I do nothing but sit around, at home I watch TV or play games. The only time I am active is when i do it on purpose. Mind you that is a lot. i walk around 7km a day, 2km in the morning before work and 5km after work. i also strength train at the gym 2-3 days per week. So without the gym involved I burn around 600 calories from the walking, per day. So my average calories used in a day is 3100. I actually walk more like 12km on Saturday and Sunday but whatever, lets leave it at 3100 average. Currently with little weight loss i am eating around 1500-1800 cal per day while trying to break 100g of protein.

Now if i do all the math correct, at having a deficit of say 25% I should actually be eating 2300 per day??? If not more like 2600 on days where I do an hour of strength training. I see that number and think that is a lot of extra food. That will actually be better for me on the weight loss front? It is hard to wrap my head around.

AbsoluteNG

Keep us updated.

mscote12

It is absolutely a hard process to wrap your head around. I still struggle.
I recently met with a personal trainer, and after measuring me, weighing me, using a little machine that pinches my fat..oh yah...good times. She did her magic and said I need to be eating X amount of calories...which is almost 300 more than I have been eating...and she said thats why I am struggling to lose weight...my body is holding on to everything because I am simply not providing it enough calories to function correctly, including messing up my metabolism.
We'll see if it works.....*fingers crossed* and good luck to you!

Elleinnz

Have you calculated your numbers using the roadmap? If you have not I suggest you do it.

Yes - I do think you should eat more.....

I am a 52 year old woman 5'9 - 220lbs, and I eat between 2100 and 2400 most days depending on exercise.... If I do no exercise in a day I drop down to 1800

It has taken a while for my scale to start moving again, but for the past couple if weeks I am seeing close to a pound a week loss....

I have thought these numbers for a while - but it does work ...

ellaloveslove

This might help you: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/937709-in-place-of-a-road-map-ver-3-0

And with all of that walking you don't sound sedentary to me
Also, I'm not sure which calculator you are using but I really like this one: http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/ it does a lot of the work for you and breaks things down pretty well I think. Good luck!!

Absref71

What are your macros.... To lose weight use a 40% carb 40% protein and 20% fat ratio (change your goals on myfitnesspal and select the manual set up).
2500 actually sounds about right for a guy your size to lose weight. See what your body does, try 2500 on those macros and drop it by 100 calories every week until you see some movement. (don't go below 2000, reevaluate then).

Less walk, more run.... put some HIIT training in....
Check your rest period when training, if you are taking a minute break between sets then drop it....
Taper your carbs, as in most in the mornings and lower as the day goes on...
2-3 should be 3-4 if you really want to make a change...
Start a sports team, squash will make you sweat your tits off, literally, plus if you can start enjoying exercise then weight loss wont be a problem...

Just a few ideas, use them, don't use them.

Try things, see how your body responds. Don't only listen to what people say because you will hear hundreds of conflicting ideas from people, most of whom are full of **** (myself included).

Trial and error, just keep moving and good luck

seanezekiel

@ellaloveslove That post was actually what I read that made me decide to give this a whiel and where i got my numbers. The calculator you linked actually gave me nearly the exact same numbers so I figure I am on the right page track. It did tell me something that may be causing my problem. My BMR which apparently one should never be under because its base fuel is 2000 and I have been eating less then that 6 out of 7 days per week.

@absref71 I was using 40/30/30. I have been adding in some running, going to try to get up to 5k by the end of the summer. I rest 60-90 seconds. ill try bringing that down, see how it goes. Thanks for the tips.

redraidergirl2009

I posted about this too. According to my TDEE - 25% I should be able to lose just over a pound a week eating 1868...but typically I gain at this intake? I put in moderate exercise since I exercise 5 days a week and other than that I am sedentary, at least until I get a job.

I eat 1500 or less a day, admittedly once or twice a week I will eat up to 1700 but never more than 1800. Still can't get the scale to go down or my pants to fit better. Guess this week I will try and eat more, up to 1800 and see what happens, but keep up with my exercise. Thinking back now I didn't exercise much when I ate routinely at 1600 because during that period of time I was always too sick to work out.

AbsoluteNG

I posted about this too. According to my TDEE - 25% I should be able to lose just over a pound a week eating 1868...but typically I gain at this intake? I put in moderate exercise since I exercise 5 days a week and other than that I am sedentary, at least until I get a job.

I eat 1500 or less a day, admittedly once or twice a week I will eat up to 1700 but never more than 1800. Still can't get the scale to go down or my pants to fit better. Guess this week I will try and eat more, up to 1800 and see what happens, but keep up with my exercise. Thinking back now I didn't exercise much when I ate routinely at 1600 because during that period of time I was always too sick to work out.

So you've only managed to gain by eating more? That sucks. Does your figure look slimmer at least?

Francl27

I'd increase your calories by 100 at a time and see how it goes.

That's why I don't use the TDEE thing personally... I can't figure out what my activity level is!

redraidergirl2009

I posted about this too. According to my TDEE - 25% I should be able to lose just over a pound a week eating 1868...but typically I gain at this intake? I put in moderate exercise since I exercise 5 days a week and other than that I am sedentary, at least until I get a job.

I eat 1500 or less a day, admittedly once or twice a week I will eat up to 1700 but never more than 1800. Still can't get the scale to go down or my pants to fit better. Guess this week I will try and eat more, up to 1800 and see what happens, but keep up with my exercise. Thinking back now I didn't exercise much when I ate routinely at 1600 because during that period of time I was always too sick to work out.

So you've only managed to gain by eating more? That sucks. Does your figure look slimmer at least?

Nope. Heck, I'd just be happy to fit in my old pants at this point.

AbsoluteNG

I posted about this too. According to my TDEE - 25% I should be able to lose just over a pound a week eating 1868...but typically I gain at this intake? I put in moderate exercise since I exercise 5 days a week and other than that I am sedentary, at least until I get a job.

I eat 1500 or less a day, admittedly once or twice a week I will eat up to 1700 but never more than 1800. Still can't get the scale to go down or my pants to fit better. Guess this week I will try and eat more, up to 1800 and see what happens, but keep up with my exercise. Thinking back now I didn't exercise much when I ate routinely at 1600 because during that period of time I was always too sick to work out.

So you've only managed to gain by eating more? That sucks. Does your figure look slimmer at least?

Nope. Heck, I'd just be happy to fit in my old pants at this point.

Sorry to hear that. You should know that "eat more to lose more" is actually a marketing scheme to promote a website. It's easier to get people to join your program when you tell them that they can eat more and still lose weight. Under their program, you are supppose to have a modest deficit and nothing is wrong with that but have a modest deficit can sometimes lead to an inaccurate calculation on your part. No matter what you do, The Laws of Thermodynamics, dictates that you have to eat less then your energy needs for a given day, week, and so on. If you're not losing on the amount of calories that you are eating, you can either exercise more or eat less.

redraidergirl2009

I posted about this too. According to my TDEE - 25% I should be able to lose just over a pound a week eating 1868...but typically I gain at this intake? I put in moderate exercise since I exercise 5 days a week and other than that I am sedentary, at least until I get a job.

I eat 1500 or less a day, admittedly once or twice a week I will eat up to 1700 but never more than 1800. Still can't get the scale to go down or my pants to fit better. Guess this week I will try and eat more, up to 1800 and see what happens, but keep up with my exercise. Thinking back now I didn't exercise much when I ate routinely at 1600 because during that period of time I was always too sick to work out.

So you've only managed to gain by eating more? That sucks. Does your figure look slimmer at least?

Nope. Heck, I'd just be happy to fit in my old pants at this point.

Sorry to hear that. You should know that "eat more to lose more" is actually a marketing scheme to promote a website. It's easier to get people to join your program when you tell them that they can eat more and still lose weight. Under their program, you are supppose to have a modest deficit and nothing is wrong with that but have a modest deficit can sometimes lead to an inaccurate calculation on your part. No matter what you do, The Laws of Thermodynamics, dictates that you have to eat less then your energy needs for a given day, week, and so on. If you're not losing on the amount of calories that you are eating, you can either exercise more or eat less.

Who knows really. I am eating below my bmr which is doing diddly squat aside from that 1 lb I lost that first week. I guess I will try eating a bit more, especially on days I exercise, but not too much. If my bmr is around 1500 then I'll go back to eating 1800/1900 a few weeks and see if that helps since I still exercise often.

seanezekiel

I posted about this too. According to my TDEE - 25% I should be able to lose just over a pound a week eating 1868...but typically I gain at this intake? I put in moderate exercise since I exercise 5 days a week and other than that I am sedentary, at least until I get a job.

I eat 1500 or less a day, admittedly once or twice a week I will eat up to 1700 but never more than 1800. Still can't get the scale to go down or my pants to fit better. Guess this week I will try and eat more, up to 1800 and see what happens, but keep up with my exercise. Thinking back now I didn't exercise much when I ate routinely at 1600 because during that period of time I was always too sick to work out.

So you've only managed to gain by eating more? That sucks. Does your figure look slimmer at least?

Nope. Heck, I'd just be happy to fit in my old pants at this point.

Sorry to hear that. You should know that "eat more to lose more" is actually a marketing scheme to promote a website. It's easier to get people to join your program when you tell them that they can eat more and still lose weight. Under their program, you are supppose to have a modest deficit and nothing is wrong with that but have a modest deficit can sometimes lead to an inaccurate calculation on your part. No matter what you do, The Laws of Thermodynamics, dictates that you have to eat less then your energy needs for a given day, week, and so on. If you're not losing on the amount of calories that you are eating, you can either exercise more or eat less.

I just invented that quote i didnt hear those exact words. I was only talking about the whole eating proper amount of calories.

likepepsicola

I used to secretly kind of laugh at the idea of eating more to lose weight/maintain because I thought it couldn't be true, but then I started eating more. Not out of choice...I was just hungry and really nauseous and I felt better when I ate what seemed like a ton of food.

Guess what? NOTHING. BAD. HAPPENED. At first I gained 1 - 2 lbs, then it dropped off and I maintained. I'm back down to what I started at.

I used to maintain BMI 19 eating 600 - 1000 calories a day, averaging 800. I'm pretty sure there was even a time where I was averaging less. I ate 1 meal & 1 snack a day. I was obviously hungry all the time and miserable.

Now I maintain BMI 19 eating 1400 - 2600 a day, averaging 1500 (this might seem low to some people, but I'm a 4'11" sedentary female, so even according to the TDEE calculator this is the accurate number I should be maintaining at). I actually have ENERGY. I get to eat breakfast. I get to eat lunch. I get to eat dinner. I'm not afraid of food anymore. I don't fear losing it and eating a whole box of cookies because I'm not so calorie/food deprived that eating 1 or 2 satisfies me.

It's pretty amazing.

michellekicks

I'm a 5'7" 37 year old female who lost over 30 lbs last year eating an average of 2100 calories daily. Yes, you should eat more if you've stalled out at the lower amounts.

My husband, who is 6'2", 43 yrs old and about 280lbs loses really well when he eats about 2600 calories/day and walks for 30 minutes daily.